Like father, like daughter
by Shadine
Summary: This is for those of you who read NARUTO GAIDEN and got excited ! I really hope you will like it, because Golden Week just keeps us away from the next chapter so writing fanfics is all some of us can do to feel better. Enjoy x btw I usually rush when typing so that's why I misspell stuff !
1. Chapter 1

__

_I wonder who could this red haired woman wearing glasses . And why is she standing next to dad ?..._

She took a look in the mirror across the bed and asked herself if she really _did _know who she was. Yet something inside her reassured the young Uchiha of her own identity. But this did not stop her from asking her mother more about it. 

"Are you really my mother ?" 

Sakura blinked quickly as in shock, but tried to remain calm. She did not see something like this coming. 

"Excuse me ? What do you mean, Sarada ? Of course I am your mother !..." 

"But we do not really resemble that much…and you didn't even get to see dad for a couple of years. Maybe…" 

"Sarada, this is enough !" 

_ For those of you who read Naruto Giaden, I will directly jump at the part where Sasuke returns, also considering Sakura being hospitalized._

* * *

_Tsk, what am I going to do now…our house is wrecked and I really have no place I can go to… I wonder how dad feels traveling all by his own like this. It must be hard._

As she wandered away from Konoha, she was getting closer to the nearby woods. It was her favourite training place, but she didn't feel at all like training today. The only thing she wanted was to reflect on things all by her own. She reached to a clearing and decided to lay down and rest for a while. 

No sooner had she touched the ground than a black figure entered her visual field. 

_She was in utter awe. _The man standing now in front of her was no other than the one he was scrutinizing in the family portrait a few hours ago.

Without realizing, she opened her mouth and let a firm _"dad…!" _escape. 

However, Sasuke did not reply. For a couple of seconds, even minutes, he just stood there, analyzing the not so little girl. 

_She was beautiful. Nothing of what he had expected to meet when he would return back home to the woman he loved._

"_She has grown. A lot…" _he said to himself, gently walking towards his own flesh and blood. 

He wanted to say something, but talking was never his strong point. Not in this context, at least. When he was close enough to his daughter, he kneeled, so that their eyes could meet, just like a clash of two oceans of darkness. 

Right after, Sarada realized that his father _did not _wear glasses. But what was she wearing at the moment was a warm, _fatherly_ embrace she so longed for.


	2. Chapter 2

She was still amazed by her father's eventual appearance and display of affection towards her. Looking for a suitable word to describe the feeling, she realized that she has never felt something like this before. She wanted to say something, but the voice of the elder one came first: 

"Your father…I don't think I derserve to be called like that. I guess that you barely know a thing about me." 

At first, she wanted to protest,but then she reconsidered his words and admitted he was right. What she felt for him should have been nothing but hate; hate for the fact that he almost abandoned her and her mother for so many years. 

Without even thinking about it, she slapped Sasuke, with a bitter look on her face. 

'_This must be characteristic of her mother…' _he said to himself. 

Sarada was quite surprised when her father didn't even move a finger. 

"S-sorry, I…" 

"You don't have to apologize. This is well deserved." 

"Umm…well yeah but, I think you have a good excuse, right…dad ?" 

"Huh…sort of. But how come you are wandering all by your own this late ? Isn't your mom worried ?" 

"Actually, she just…eh, sort of did a big damage to our house today, so she kind of ended up being hospitalized. I think she will be okay, though…" 

"Hospitalized ? This doesn't sound that okay to me." 

"Well Shizune also pointed out that mom used to faint quite often, thing which I can state myself, so maybe they are treating her for this, too." 

_Fainting, huh…it seems like our last time turned differently from what I had expected._

"Why don't we just go and eat some ramen or…tomatoes ? You must be hungry, right ?" 

Sasuke was trying to put on a smile, but was taken by surprise by the fact that he didn't have to force it anymore. This time it was him and her daughter, whom he sincerely cared for. _Loved._

"You mean…the two of us ? Like a father-daughter meal ? 

_Her eyes were almost sparkling, ignited by pure joy. She was finally able to spend time with her father, the stranger he met half an hour ago._

"Yes, I mean a father-daughter meal…together." 

He almost blushed as he realized that this was nothing of what he was used to do. A mix of positive feelings were slowly taking over his being, but far be it from him to repel them. 

"Of course !"

Sarada's reply was so quick that her embrace caught her father off-guard. He placed a hand on her head, with the other one returning the embrace. They were now heading to the village, hoping for some available seats at Ichiraku. 

* * *

"Oh-o ! It seems like this place is full. And there is really nowhere else we could dine at this hour." 

"Hn…don't worry, just follow me to the market." 

After grabbing salad, rice, fish and some tomatoes, Sasuke stretched out his hand to grab Sarada's, a gesture she gladly responded to by holding his hand. 

"But, _pa, _where are we going now ? Our home is totally wrecked." 

"Don't worry, we will go to a kind of secret Uchiha residence." Sasuke blinked as he knew it would make her giggle. 

In ten minutes, they already got there. Sarada unpacked the food as Sasuke started cooking it at his best, even though we wasn't much of a good cook. But he felt like doing it now, with his only child. At least for now… 

"Dad, today…I found a picture. Of you. And there was this woman wearing glasses right besides, and she looked a lot like me and – 

"Sarada." the way he said her name was firm compared to the last couple of times, as if he already knew where she was going with this. 

"She used to be my team mate back then. But there is noting you too have in common, besides wearing glasses." 

"Oh…but, I saw her and I thought that she might have spent more time with you than mom actually did." 

A tear almost escaped her onyx eyes as she was forcing them back. She didn't want to look like a cry baby in front of her father. 

At the sight of this, Sasuke actually taken aback by the truth of her words – he really _did _spend more time with her than with both of them altogether. 

She could hold it no more, and her pale face was now soaked with salty drops of grief. No sooner had this happened than a cold, gentle hand reached to wipe them away. 

"I love you, Sarada."


End file.
